Illusion
by ClassyMuse
Summary: (Post-Movie) There were some secrets that could not be kept. They were told without words. (Any and all mistakes are mine)


**This was just a one-shot that popped in my head after recently re-watching the movie whilst skyping my SO (because long-distance wedding planning sucks and we needed a happy distraction).**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing. Don't sue, I have student loans.**

Faye and Jet had to split off once the rain had settled. Faye picked up a beat-up Spike a few blocks away from the tower; he was stumbling back to the direction where he had previously abandoned his Swordfish. Jet was already in the direction of said ship to pick it up. Although the sun was close to rising, they had to make themselves scarce. They all had incidentally saved the world trying to catch a bounty all the while getting tangled with Cerious Medical and their own classified work. They sent their best manpower after Spike, which left some collateral, and property damage, more than the usual. Jet making a scene at the Podunk airport didn't make for stealth. Then there was Faye who was almost labeled as a terrorist for her performance at the climate control center.

The sooner they left Mars, the better.

Jet made the executive decision to head to Callisto, where bounties were plentiful but they all lacked personal connections. The likelihood of anyone following a lead for them there, if there was a need, was next to nil.

Once they all met up on the Bebop and Jet announced the plan is when the two men noticed something was off with Faye. Spike rolled with the decision, because he was too sore and bruised to argue. Faye in an ordinary situation would have whined and bitched. This time she was indifferent and strode right in to the ship not looking back.

They also noticed the shirt. She never wore that red thing over her shoulders. Spike noticed the traces of dried blood on her neck, but the source didn't come from her. He didn't say anything while they were both riding her Redtail back to Bebop; he wasn't going to start something while in tight quarters like that. If it was important though, she would tell them. Faye was a woman with secrets after all. As long as it didn't interfere with the bounties then they would let her be.

Faye just wanted to hide when she got back. She was completely aware of how she looked. Her yellow top was missing and she had no time to wash Vincent's blood off her entirely. She was surprised Spike said nothing when she picked him up. God, her hair was a mess and so was her make-up. These were things she could fix immediately. It was when she started shower she felt the sting from the water on her wrists and ankle. With everything that was going on in the last twenty-four hours she didn't pay attention to where the bounds from Vincent had rubbed her raw. "Dammit," she cursed. These were going to be harder to hide. Things happened in that apartment, at least the things she was conscious for, that she would rather deal with herself. If the boys found out, god, she didn't want to think about the hell she would catch. It would be something about her outfit, about going without back-up, blah blah blah. She wasn't in the mood.

While drying off she remembered Jet talking about heading to Callisto. It would be a perfect cover for her to wear sleeves and longer pants. The last time they were there, even with the heat on, the Bebop was still freezing. They were probably going to be there for a few days which was enough time for the sores to heal.

As she was wrapping her wrists and ankles she began to feel the fatigue from the sleep deprivation. This was welcomed. She would sleep and forget about everything that happened. She made her way back to her room casually, brushing past Spike who was on his way to shower himself.

She got dressed and caught a second wind. Now she was wired and unable to relax. "God fucking dammit." She tried to lay on her bed, but without a way to fall asleep she started to think. Everything kept circling back to that time in the apartment. Faye was very aware of why she lived. She was alive because he violated her, which was a strange thing to think about. She should be grateful that she lived, but not like that. She did the math on how long she was really there.

Faye was there for two days. She was aware for at least a day and a half. What could he…no, she wasn't going to think about that. For a woman who wanted nothing more in her life to remember who she really was, to have some answers about her past, she wanted more than anything to forget right now. Faye started smoking but struggled to light up with her hands shaking. Eventually the cigarette caught the flame and the nicotine did it's work.

She made her way to the common room where she could see and hear Spike sitting quietly while Jet taped his ribs and lectured. "Ya know, most people at least give themselves some time to heal before they go off for another fight."

"I know," Spike groaned.

"You blew the stitches and everything. All things considered I want to know why it is you only ended up like pulp rather than half-dead."

Spike stood up, taking in his new and old injuries, "What can I say? I'm a stray cat with nine lives."

"Hmph, try a cockroach."

Faye stood on the stairs and looked down at her disgruntled comrades, her hard exterior was up like it was just another day. "Keep this up, Spike, and I'll be getting your share of the bounties, since you can't seem to stand without help."

Spike had no smart comment to throw back at her. All her said was, "I'm going to get some sleep. Wake me up when we get to Callisto."

He went up the steps and passed her with Jet following suit. Jet hollered down the corridor for Edward to start the Bebop on autopilot with coordinates to the frozen moon. Oh yeah, Ed can fly this thing now, she remembered. Might as well. She was the only other person who knew the Bebop like Jet did but also more likely to remain alert. No one said anything about her appearance. Good.

Faye's second wind ran out and the fatigue hit harder than before. She finished and put out the cigarette butt before entering her room. The moment hit the bed she was out.

Of course the dreams were strange. Then they were vivid. Then they were too much. Vincent was present, gripping her shoulders and forcing himself on her, but unlike what she remembers, her subconscious took her straight to the what-if's that may or may not have happened in reality. Faye fought back, but couldn't make her limbs do what she wanted them to do. She was going to die if she let him, but she would also die if she somehow escaped. Faye should have been used to losing, but she didn't want to lose this time.

The grip on her shoulders tightened. "Get the hell off of me," she screamed. "No. Not this!"

"Its your nightmare," Vincent said.

"No!"

Everything seemed so real and she was frightened.

"You're the devil," she cried.

"It's all your dream, Faye," he said, his face and blood getting closer to her own.

"No!"

"Faye, wake up."

"I am!"

"Wake up," this voice was different.

"Stop it!"

"Faye!"

Her eyes snapped open and she realized where she was. She was back in her room, on the Bebop and standing over her was Jet. Faye slowed her breathing. She was aware of what it all looked like and what a position she was in in front of her comrade. "Sorry," she whispered.

Jet shrugged, "Don't worry about it. Spike was mumbling and making a racket. Looks like he is sleepwalking again."

"What?" she questioned.

"Yeah, both of you are headcases. Yours I can cure, now that I am awake."

Faye changed quickly back from cornered animal to stone cold and sarcastic. "Oh yeah, and how do you think you can handle me?"

"Can't offer whiskey to anyone not coherent."

Booze, yeah, that would help tremendously, she thought optimistically. She followed Jet to the common room where Spike was passed out on the couch. They hung over the top railing and stared down at him. The two of them were passed the bottle between them. "Didn't know he sleepwalks," Faye commented.

"Yeah, it's been a while. Usually it happens when he has some sort of painkiller in his system."

"How often?"

Jet glared at her as if to say any-time-he-gets-his-ass-handed-to-him.

"Touche."

"Anyway, I'm a lightsleeper and you know as well as I do that sound carrys in this ship. You're a talker."

Shit, she was caught. "Oh god," she played it off jokingly. "What have you heard?"

Jet scoffed, "Typically it's something about horses, debts, and cash."

Phew, she was safe. "Well gambling is a vicious cycle," she rolled off. She looked down and took in the sight of the sleeping form below them. There was a faint red stain on the bandages around his ribs and some new bruises too. "So who put him through the wringer?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Vincent appearently."

Faye could feel something change in her at the sound of his name. Play it cool, Faye. Just play it cool.

"Really now?"

"Yeah, the first time the guy cracked some ribs with his bare hands, shot him, and threw him off a train. This last time though was him looking to settle some convoluted revenge business or whatever. Doesn't really matter now. Spike said the guy is dead. No more bioterror threat for Mars now."

Doesn't mean he's dead to me, she thought quietly.

"What did you say?" Jet asked.

Oh shit, she thought. That wasn't supposed to come out. "What?"

"You said that it doesn't mean he's dead to you."

Now she was caught.

"It's nothing."

Jet took a pull from the bottle and handed it back to her, "Right, and I'm Santa Claus."

"I said it was nothing."

"And we all know that isn't true, Faye."

Now she was putting up her defenses. If Jet pursued this, she was going to give him a cheap nose job. "'We all'?"

"You've been acting off since we got back from the city. You also have been gone for two days without a word, which isn't uncommon, but there is something off."

"There is nothing wrong. I had a lead from Ed about Vincent and went for it. It took some time."

"Oh really? And that lead kept you from getting distracted for two whole days."

"Let it go, Jet."

"No. You think you're so good at hiding, but we all noticed how you wore your shirt and this sudden amount of clothing. Spike mentioned something earlier about some blood traces. Also, you have your wrists wrapped."

Faye took a second pull at the bottle. "So what, Jet. The job was a little hard."

Jet sighed, "What happened, Faye?"

Faye didn't respond. She couldn't find the words. They were stuck behind breaths that she was trying to maintain so she wouldn't collapse. Everything about what happened started to hit home and it hit harder.

"You're a sleep talker, not a sleep screamer. If this is going to be a regular occurrence, do us both a favor and explain it to us so we can at least soundproof your room."

Faye fought to keep up the façade. "It doesn't matter."

"You can't say that forever. That's Spike's line anyway."

"Jesus Christ!" She snapped. She turned away and went back to her room. She shut the door. In the darkness she did everything she could to control her breathing. Her chest felt tight. Faye was getting paranoid of the sounds around her. Even though she was safe on the Bebop, now she was afraid. If she slept, she would be back where she was just over twenty-four hours ago. "Shit," she breathed. "Shit, shit, shit."

There was a knock on her door and she almost yelped at the sound, even though she knew exactly who it was.

"Faye," Jet said quietly. "I'm sorry. At least open the door."

She didn't move from her bed. Faye just couldn't get her legs to work.

"Alright, I'm coming in." Jet opened the door slowly to see something he only hoped to never see again. Faye, the Shrew of Bebop, was falling apart. Not so much with tears of wails of woe, but falling from control. Jet and Spike got the picture the moment they saw her clothes before and after. Spike didn't want to push further since he wasn't too good with the whole talking-about-your-problems strategy. Jet at least had some skill. He offered to deal with it. They both knew it would still be up to Faye.

He didn't say anything when he saw her. Jet just walked in and sat beside her. He said nothing and didn't touch her. Faye was a very proud woman. Whatever happened shook her up, but she was proud and would do everything in her power to keep control of herself. Spike would the semblance of their normal. Jet would be there just in case she would lose that control. He would ride this out with her. Maybe one day she would tell them, maybe she never will.

It was a secret, but not really. It was just an illusion that they made. That was how they were now and will be.


End file.
